Department of Health News

This news item expired on 12/31/2012, so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.

Preparing for Thunderstorms & Lightning

All thunderstorms are dangerous. Every storm produces lightning and because it is unpredictable it increases the risk to individuals and property. While lightning fatalities have decreased over the past 30 years, lightning continues to be one of the top three storm-related killers in the United States. In 2010 there were 29 fatalities and 182 injuries from lightning. Although most lightning victims survive, people struck by lightning often report a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms.

Other associated dangers of thunderstorms include tornadoes, strong winds, hail and flash flooding. Flash flooding is responsible for more fatalities – more than 140 annually – than any other thunderstorm-associated hazard. WNC doesn’t often see dry thunderstorms that don’t produce rain on the ground. These falling raindrops evaporate, but lightning can still reach the ground and can start wildfires.

Preparing for an emergency before it happens makes sense. Follow these steps to get safely through thunderstorms and lightening...

Before a Thunderstorm and Lightning

Build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.

Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a severe thunderstorm.

Postpone outdoor activities.

Remember the 30/30 Lightning Safety Rule: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.

Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.

Get inside a home, building, or hard top automobile (not a convertible). Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.

Remember, rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO protection from lightning. However, the steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal.

Shutter windows and secure outside doors. If shutters are not available, close window blinds, shades or curtains.

Unplug any electronic equipment well before the storm arrives.

During Thunderstorms and Lightning

If a thunderstorm and lightning are already occurring in your area, you should:

Use your battery-operated NOAA Weather Radio for updates from local officials.

Avoid contact with corded phones and devices including those plugged into electric for recharging. Cordless and wireless phones not connected to wall outlets are OK to use.

Avoid contact with electrical equipment or cords. Unplug appliances and other electrical items such as computers and turn off air conditioners. Power surges from lightning can cause serious damage.

Avoid contact with plumbing. Do not wash your hands, do not take a shower, do not wash dishes, and do not do laundry. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity.

Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.

Do not lie on concrete floors and do not lean against concrete walls.

Stay away from natural lightning rods such as a tall, isolated tree in an open area.

Avoid hilltops, open fields, the beach or a boat on the water.

Take shelter in a sturdy building. Avoid isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas.

If you are driving, try to safely exit the roadway and park. Stay in the vehicle and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rain ends. Avoid touching metal or other surfaces that conduct electricity in and outside the vehicle.

After a Thunderstorm or Lightning Strike

If lightning strikes you or someone you know, call 9-1-1 for medical assistance as soon as possible. Lightning strike victims carry no electrical charge and should be attended to immediately. Check the following things when you attempt to give aid to a victim of lightning:

Pulse - if the victim has a pulse and is breathing, look for other possible injuries. Check for burns where the lightning entered and left the body. Also be alert for nervous system damage, broken bones and loss of hearing and eyesight.

After the storm passes remember to:

Never drive through a flooded roadway. Turn around, don’t drown!

Stay away from storm-damaged areas to keep from putting yourself at risk from the effects of severe thunderstorms.

Continue to listen to a NOAA Weather Radio or to local radio and television stations for updated information or instructions, as access to roads or some parts of the community may be blocked.

Help people who may require special assistance, such as infants, children, the elderly or anyone else who needs it.